Electbic switch



- C. D. PLATT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 191B.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS SHEET I.

IN I/E N TOR C. D. PLATT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1918.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARE ICE D. PLATE, OF BBIDGEPOB'I, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

Original application filed March 9, 1918, Serial No. 221,382. Divided and this application filed September 19,

1918. Serial N0. 254,745.

he objects of my invention primarily are to provide simple and practical means for effecting an interlock between the switch and the cover structure and to enable the locking of the switch in either the off or on position.

Briefly stated the invention resides in the combination of a switch having a movable switch element and a box or casing inclosing the switch provided with a movable cover and with a movable member on said cover for securing the switch in a predetermined ition or sitions. ThlS movable mem r is usual y in the form of a slide having a detachable connection with the movable switch element and constructed to lock the switch in a predetermined condition when the cover is closed with said slide shifted to a predetermined position on the cover.

Other features of the invention and the details of construction will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention embodied in a prac tical and at present preferred form, but

with the understanding that such illustration is for purposes of disclosure and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the true spirit and sco e of the invention.

In said drawings: a Figure 1, is a front or face view of the .invention as embodied in a meter unit construction, the outer cover of the casing being shown as broken away.

Fig. 1 is a perspective :view of the lockin s ide. I

i 2, is a longitudinal sectional view of the evice shown in Fig. 1.

Fi 3, is a side view with the outer cover mi and the inner cover. artly opened and shown in section, the sli e in this view being shown as lowered intoposition to lock the switch when the cover is closed.

- Fig. 4, is a sectional view similar to Fi 2 showing the cover closed with the sli e in th s lowered or lockin position, said sl1de now serving to lock t e switch in the circuit-closed condition.

Fig. 5, is a broken front elevation of the switch and the operating means therefor, as such parts appear when the cover is opened.

In the illustration, the switch is of the familiar knife blade type having a movable switch element in the form of parallel switch blades 7 pivoted at 8 and connected by a cross bar 9, said switch blades being deslgned to engage with suitable contacts 10, the switch pivot and switch contacts all bemg mountedon a suitable insulatin base 11. This switch is shown as operate by a handle 12 on the outer end of a rod 13 which is provided with a. cranked or off-set portion 14 connected by a link 15 with the cross bar 9 of the switch blades, said 0 eratmg rod or shaft being journaled su tantlally concentric to the switch blade pivots so that the movable switch element will be operated freely as the handle-is oscillated.

The box or casin for the switch is desgnated 16 and is s ownin this particular instance as of a size to accommodate a meter 17. This switch box is provided with an lnner cover 18 for protecting the switch parts and an outer cover 19 for protecting the meter and the connections 20 between the switch and meter. The outer cover is shown pivoted at 21 and the inner cover as pivoted at 22. Y

Mounted on the under side of the inner cover is a movable member shown in the form of a slide 23 held to the under side of the cover by the studs or rivets 24 received in the .slots 25 in the slide. This slide is connected with the movable switch element so as to be operated thereby, in the present disclosure, by means ofa dependent angular flange 26 at one edge of the slide provided with a transverse slot 27 receiving or fitting over the oscillatin or rocking portion 14 of the operating s aft.

The operation of the slide in conjunction with the movable switch element will be understood from Fig. 2 wherein, it will be apparent that when the switch is opened the slide will be shifted downward into the dotted line position there shown and that when the switch is closed the slide will be shifted upward into the full line position shown. The slide may conveniently be provided with suitable indications, such as the words On and Ofi' as indicated at 28 in Fig. l, which will be visible through a window 29 in the cover 18 as the slide is shifted to one position or the other.

The connection between the slide and movable switch element illustrated, enables the complete separation of the slide from the movable switch element when the cover is opened and this fact is taken advanta. e of by roviding a stop shoulder 30 on t e depend ent flange Q6 of the slide, which, upon the shiftin of the slide to its lowermost position lgs. 3 and 4) can be interposed, upon closing the cover, behind the oscillatin operating member 14 to secure the switc in the circuit-closed condition.

In use the indicator slide will normally simply operate with the switch and indicate to the operator at all times the condition the switch Is in. If it 'is desired to lock the switch in the circuit-closed condition, the cover is opened and the slide is shifted to its extreme lower position as indicated in Fig. 3 and the cover is again closed. On closing the cover with the slide in this shifted position, the stop shoulder 30 of the slide will be interposed back of the switch operating member, as shown in Fig. 4 and the switch will thereupon be securely locked in closed circuit condition. The outer cover ma be secured by suitable locking means suc as the hasp of the padlock 31 and this would prevent tampering with the switch when locked in such condition.

My invention contemplates also the looking of the switch, by means of the slide, in the off or open-circuit position and this possibility I have illustrated in Fig.. 2. In this view the dotted lines indicate the position of the slide in the open-circuit osition of the switch. In such position of t 1e slide, one of the slots 25 (the lower left hand one in Fig. *1) is brought into register with an opening 32 in the cover through which the hasp of a padlock 33, or other securing means, may be passed to secure the slide in such depressed position. With the slide secured in this lowered position, it will be evident that the switch will be securely locked in the open-circuit condition. Similarly if desired, the slide may be locked by the same padlock when it is lowered to secure the switch, locked closed, as indicated in Fi 4. The padlock is not necessary for the slide-in this latter case, however, because the slide is already at the extreme limit of its downward movement and any upward tendency of movement of the slide is checked by reason of the fact that the switch is already closed and the o crating member 14 therefore cannot be shi ted any farther in a switch-closing direction.

The locking slide is shown utilized also in the present disclosure, as a guard or protector for fuses 35}, said fuses being mounted on the switch base 11 within the box and eing covered by the u per end of the slide when the switch is c osed and being uncovered b said slide when the switch is opened. 'I his guarding function of the slide prevents removal of the fuses when the switch is in the circuit-closed condition illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

I claim:

1. In combination, a box, a switch mounted therein and provided with a movable switch element, a hinged cover over said switch, and a slide n said cover normally connected with the movable switch element so as to operate therewith and adapted when the cover is opened to be disconnected from the movable ed into position to lock said movable switch element when said cover is closed, in a predetermined position.

2. In combination with an electric switch having a movable switch element, a movable cover for said switch and a movable member on said cover havin a detachable connection with the move; le switch element, said member when detached from the movable switch element adapted to be positioned to secure the movable switch element in a predetermined condition when the cover is closed over the switch.

3. In combination with a switch having a movable switch element, a movable cover for said switch and a slide mounted on the cover movably connected with the movable switch element When the cover is closed and adapted to be disconnected therefrom when the cover is open, said slide adapted to be shifted when the cover is opened to a position where it will interlock with the movable switch element when the cover is again closed, to then secure said movable switch element in a predetermined position.

4. In combination with an electric switch having a pivoted switch element, a. movable cover for said witch and a slide on said cover, said slide and movable switch element having'a pin and slot connection to cause operation of the slide when the movable switch element is operated and to permit disengagement of the slide from the movable switch element when the cover' is opened, said. slide further having a stop shoulder arranged, when the cover is closed with the slide 1n a predetermined position, to cooperate with. and hold the movable switch element in a predetermined condition.

5. In combination with having a movable switch element and an oscillating operating arm therefor, a pivoted cover for said switch and a. slide mounted on said cover having a dependent flange slotted to engage with the osclllating switch an electric switch switch element and to be shiftoperating arm and provided also with a stop shoulder disposed to cooperate with the oscillating operating arm to hold the movable switch element in a predetermined condition when the cover is closed with said slide in a predetermined position.

6. In combination, an electric switch provided with a movable switch element, a cover for said switch and a member movably supported on the cover, said movable member being normally connected with the movable element of the switch when the cover is closed, but automatically disconnectible therefrom when the cover is opened and said movable member further having a stop shoulder arranged when the cover is closed with the slide in a predetermined position, to cooperate with and secure the movable element of the switch against movement in one direction.

7 In combination with an electric switch provided with a movable switch element, box incasing said switch provided with a movable cover, a member having a limited sliding movement on said cover, a detachable connection between said movable member and movable switch element enablin separation ot-said member from the switc element when the cover is opened and said movable member having a stop shoulder' disposed to secure the movable switch element against movement in'one direction when the cover is closed with the movable member shifted on the-cover to the limit oi this movement in one direction.

8. The combination with an electric switch, including a movable switch element, a box inclosing said switch provided with a movable cover, a slide mounted on the cover and having a connection with the movable switch element so as to be operated thereby and detachable from said switch element upon the opening of the cover, a stop shoulder on the slide disposed toengage and secure the movable switch element in one position when the cover is closed with the slide shifted to a predetermined position thereon, and means for fastening the slide to secure the movable switch element in a different position.

CLARENCE D. PLATT. 

